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Memoirs of a Copier Sales Person

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Fifty-Two of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Fifty-Two of Selling Copiers

Just a few minutes ago I asked my VP of sales if he saw the video I posted with last nights blog.  He stated he had not which leads me to believe that the video did not post in the email alert he received about new content.  Since it's not a link those who just read the email on their smart phone would not get the full experience.  I also have this posted on my You Tube Channel and here's the link if your interested in seeing this fun video.

The title of the video is "I Will Survive" which was made famous and sung by Gloria Gaynor in 1978. Gloria went on to garner the Grammy Award for Song of the Year that year.   Gloria was also a native New Jerseyan and the song "I Will Survive" was the flip side of the 45pm (not intended to be the primary song).

Frak in 1978 I was 21 years and three years from starting my copier career.

"I Will Survive" is fitting for all of us in the copier industry (I refuse to call it the imaging industry) who are adapting and changing to our new normal.  We didn't ask for it, we didn't want it, and most of us would rather go back in time to February of 2020. 

After almost eight months of COVID there is no going back to the way it was.  These last eight months has changed us and our industry forever.  What we thought was many more sunny days turned in to weeks and months of cloudy and unpredictable times.  But we have survived!

Our copier industry is still here, dealers and sales people have made the adjustment to what was dealt to us.  Believe it or not we have changed and the changes that we've made will forever change the future for our copier channel.

Yes we might not book as many clicks like we did last year and yes hardware placements will be down, but we have changed as an industry to not be as reliant with just selling copiers. We are retooling, rebranding and reteaching ourselves for the new normal.  Over the past weeks weeks I've heard from any sales peeps that it's not back to where it was but they feel good about the changes that they've made or changes made by the dealership.

At first I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live without that copier by my side
But then I spent so many nights thinking how COVID did me wrong
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along
And so we're back

Thus the reason why the title struck a cord with me last night.  We Will Survive!

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Fifty-One of Selling Copiers

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Fifty-One of Selling Copiers

I'm not going to write about my day.  Yes last week had it's ups and downs, with more downs than ups.  Today marks the last week of the month and there are four days left to finish the struggle.

Mind you I had no intention of posting anything today.  However I could not resist the temptation of creating this video.  The title is so apropos as to what we are all going through in this time of COVID19.

Some peeps from our sales team and yes it changed my spirit for the day and maybe for the week. I hope it does the same for everyone else!

I WILL SURVIVE




Goodbye, Farewell and Amen

Special thanx to Vince for allowing me to re-post his last blog on his blog site, "the connected copier".  I've known Vince for quite a few years since reading his first blog. I'm thinking that was way back in 2008.

There's not that many of us that blog on a regular basis about our industry. In fact I know of four Greg Walters, Ray S , Vince McHugh and myself. Vince has also been a member of the Print4Pay for sometime and always made himself available to answer sales and technical questions for others on our forum. For that I am thankful. Thank you Vince!

Vince and I also had to chance to meet for dinner one night in Atlantic Highlands, NJ.  He was visiting NJ for a technical meeting and we both met at the Memphis Pig Out one night.  Of course us two old pro's had a great time chatting about the industry like two old wash women.  I could see that Vince was a Pro and I admired him for his expertise and his friendship. Over the years we've keep in touch from time to time and I'm sure that will be the case moving to the future.

COVID19 hit us all hard and even harder for Vince.  Vince I was you the best my friend and you know I'm always available.

Goodbye, Farewell and Amen

I started in this industry in 1978, with a walking territory in “The City” (that’s what New Yorkers call Manhattan). But I have come to a point in my life where I need to say goodbye to “The Copier Industry”. After nearly 30 years working for a Large Independent Dealer in New England (NECS) I will be leaving this industry that I have loved. Some people have said that I have toner in my blood, and maybe that is true. Time will tell.

I have had the privilege to be friends with some Giants of the Industry. Charlie Tiernan who started NECS out of the back of his station wagon, and grew it to a major regional player with 7 offices and 2 Warehouses. Charlie is a real dyed in the wool “Copier Guy”, and he has a big heart. It was a privilege to work for him for so many years.

Charles Kelly, who ran the CSlist.org (Mailing) list for years. I met Charles at a Canon Technet conference and we immediately hit it off. He invited me to join his mailing list for Canon Systems Engineers. We had SEs from all over the world posting non sanctioned Canon Networking solutions. I learned and posted many “solutions” back in the day. The Canon “Grid” ended the need for the CSlist and it has since been moth balled.

Art Post, The P4PHotel.com has been a great industry resource. Art has reposted some articles from this blog, and he always has great, relevant, Industry news. Talk about a “Copier Guy”, Art defines the term. I had the pleasure of having dinner with Art one night when I was in New Jersey for training. We have and do talk on the phone from time to time, and I consider him a friend.

Ned Bannan is one of the best industry Systems Engineer on the East Coast, But sadly Ned is no longer in the “Copier Industry”. He is working for a Security Software Company and they are lucky to have him. He is the best Mac guy I know, and has a good working knowledge of Linux. Ned has forgotten more about Macs than most people will ever know. He was also a Fiery Color Expert. Ned could hack a PPD with the best of them!

I have known Mike Betsco for a couple of decades now. Back in the day when he was one of the driving forces behind Canon’s Technet. Which was the best SE training, in the most compact time frame, at a great location (Disney World or Disney Land). Mike did a tour at Samsung when they made a run at the Copier Industry but is back at Canon heading up their Solutions offerings. Canon is lucky to have him. Mike invited me and other key solutions people in the Independent Channel to join the Canon S.E.A.L. Team (Solutions Advisory Board). We had some great discussions during those meetings and continued them over some great dinners.

What can I say about Joe Lucas? If you ever get stuck with a complex UniFLOW problem Joe is the go to guy! He has helped me with major accounts more times than I can count. James Seager also gets honorable mention for NTware support!

Donn Clarke was my boss when I worked at (RBS) Ricoh Business Systems. I worked there for two plus years and Donn was the best boss I have ever had. He is a good man. That is why I brought him over to NECS where he is currently the Director of Sales.

Lynda Maglio is currently a Solutions Analyst at Konica Minolta. But I have most of my fond memories of her when she worked at eCopy (then it became Nuance). She would bird dog a problem until she got it resolved. For that reason she was one of my favorite Vendors.

Then there are the great Hunters (Sales People) that I have worked with over the years, John “Sully” Sullivan, Doug Moore, and Cindy Albano just to name a few. I am not leaving the rest out to slight them but to name all of them would be impractical in a blog article.

These are just some of the people I have come to respect in this industry. Time would fail to talk of each of the men & women I have worked with over the past 34 years. But you know who you are.

I have good memories from my time in this industry. I raise a family on the salary I earned as a Technician, Troubleshooter, Field Service Manager, Solutions Team Managers, Color Sales Specialist, and a Vice President. I will no longer be posting to this blog, but I will leave it as an archive as there is indeed some useful info that hopefully some people will still stumble across.

My apologies to the long running show M.A.S.H. for stealing their title of their last episode. But it seemed appropriate to me. They say by the time M.A.S.H. ended they had more episodes than there were actual days in the Korean war. Sometimes I feel like I have more stories than actual days for my career in this industry. Please know that I love this industry. It is going through some tough times right now and maybe the “Big Crunch” will continue. But the strong will survive. They always do!

Please contact me via my email if there is anything I can do for you.

This is my last $0.02

Vince McHugh

vincemchugh2076@gmail.com

PS: I have never mixed my personal life with my professional life because it might alienate some of my Customers. But I feel like as I wrap this up I need to let those who have read this blog for so long know that I am a Christian. I have taught a Bible study for the past 40+ years. So if you have a question about the Bible or about life and want to talk, email me and I will be happy to talk to you about anything.

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty-Eight of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty-Eight of Selling Copiers

It never ceases to amaze me how one day can be so great and the next day can be so challenging. The challenging part was the essence of my day today.  I wasn't able to move any deals further along until the last 30 minutes of the day. My net new opportunity is having some issues with getting approved because they are "new" in business. I would have never guessed it the setup that they have and I missed the mark by not asking that crucial question.  Keeping my fingers crossed that I'll have some good news in the next two days.

It was a day of many emails, many issues and many un foreseen items that just magically appeared on my to do list.  In addition most of these items needed my attention ASAP.  Thus I got lost in the day and wasn't able to control my day.  I hate days like these but if you've been in the business long enough you know you'll have your fair share of these every now and then. 

If someone had asked my to give me the name of a song that reflected how your day went, then it would be Under Pressure by Queen and Freddy Mercury.  Guess that sums it up for the Boomer!

Tomorrow means two on-site appointments one with a net new prospect and the other with a current prospect where I only have one print device in place.  Both are sizeable accounts and in both cases I'm not sure if there is a need for anything but it's a chance to meet and greet and you just never know. The rest of my day will be filled with trying to move some of these opportunities forward.

At 4:30PM I was able inch another existing client forward with adjusting my original proposal. COVID19 clicks are down for this client and they've learned that they can survive with slower A3 devices and less clicks.  I had proposed a 55 ppm A3 MFP along with a 30 A3 MFP, today I changed it to two 35 A3 MFP's and it got a little bit of traction.  If you don't ask you don't get and ain't that the truth.

The struggle is real and each day presents additional obstacles that we need to navigate through.  Like the last blog I have no magic bullet, no holy grail to bestow on everyone. I guess the only saving grace is the work ethic I learned back when I was a teenager. In addition it's that never given up attitude, if you want it bad enough you can usually make that happen.  Yes COVID19 is making it a bit tougher but what would life be like if everything was easy.  It would be boring!

I caught a cool video from Chris Polek the other day and would like to share with everyone. Click the image and you'll be taken to Linkedin to view. It's short video on world records.

Thanx Chris@

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty-Six of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty-Six of Selling Copiers

What a nasty day today in Jersey.  Torrents of rain along with a temperature that couldn't climb above 55 degrees.   Seems we'll have the same weather tomorrow also.

Back on September 25th our Governor signed another Health Emergency Order for another 30 days.  By late next week we'll know if the order is extended for yet another month.  Positive COVID19 tests have been on the rise for the last week and a half in New Jersey.  We were averaging 300-400 per day but the last week has seen those cases double.  Not sure what that means for future or additional shut downs.  With the weather getting colder it will be interesting to see what our Governor has in his plan.  In door dining is still a hot topic with restaurants limited to 25% of capacity.

I had a decent day on Friday. I received an order for 4 color A3 MFP's. I was hoping for 5 but that one may come later this week.  I ran into a snag with my net new verbal order that I received last Thursday.  Seems the company has not in business that long and additional information is needed.

Anyway I still think I'm on track for the $100K this month.  It's shame I had such a crappy month for September. This month is all about payback for September and try to stay even for October.  The last two months of the year will prove to be interesting to say the least. There is more than enough opportunities to hit my number, the question will be can we get the lease approvals.  I mention the approvals because credit seems to be tightening, however there are many leasing companies that also need to hit their numbers.  At this point I'm hoping one will wash the other one out for a push.

During the last week I haven't had the time to be that creative. I've not had the time to write additional blogs for Jersey Plotters nor get out my monthly email address to 900 net new accounts.  It will get done but it seems that I'll be burning some extra hours.

It's had to believe that we're now in the last two months of 2020.  Counting March as the first month and with October it's been eight solid months of grinding, eight months of not giving up, and eight months of throwing enough crap on the wall to see what sticks.

What's been sticking as of late?

Emails still seem to be the best way of contacting peeps, in addition Linkedin in mails at off hours work too.  Just today I picked up an appointment via a contact I made with a Linkedin inmail.  Linkedin is just so darn expensive!   

In addition I'm somewhat happen with the lead service I stated four months ago. Most are BS, but there are a few that have some value and I've been able to close two of them to date. 

What's also been better is picking up the phone, while I don't get the chance to make as many calls as I'd like to.  It does seem like those calls are getting better at obtaining a response.  One thing I always keep in mind is that our clients and prospects are stretched just as much as we are.  There's not need to worry if you don't get a call back or a return email right away.  We need to have some patient to let the ball travel for a few days at a time.

My goal for this week is to garner another $25K in orders and I won't get that without busting my butt.  I guess after 40 years of doing this I'm used the ups and the downs.

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty-Four of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty-Four of Selling Copiers

Another interesting day to say the least.  My order for 4 A3 color MFPs is still out there and it may have a bonus MFP when I get it.  At least that's the way I read it when we were on the phone the other day.

All day I was trying to get something to happen.  I knew I only had that one 4 MFP order that was solid for this week.  Of course it's Thursday and with the order not in hand is always a little concerning.  I'm positive I'll get it but there is always the question of when will I have it.  In any case the thought of putting of a zero for the week was not where I wanted to be.

I had that one net new appointment yesterday for the two A3 color devices that went well.  The proposal went over last night, the follow up call in morning where I left a message and then I had a call back around 11AM.  We spoke about issuing a know out credit for the existing device, however I was firm that I needed some sort of documentation. 

It was about 4PM and I didn't have a call back. I knew the need was urgent to get the MPF's as soon as possible.  I thought, do I wait another day for the DM to call me back to review the pricing or do I take matters into my own hands make something happen.  I thought it was best to make something happen because I knew there was an urgency to get the MPF's.  In the back of my mind was also that fact that the longer I waited the longer I had a chance of losing. At 4:30 I negotiated a deal with my self and offered a special discount to the client if they ordered today or tomorrow.  Tell you the truth it was kind of fun putting that in an email format.  Instead of asking the closing question on the phone or in person it was via email.  If you don't ask you don't get.

I received the email that they are ready to order about 7:30PM tonight.  Just a few minutes ago I responded with a thank you along with the time-line for tomorrow to get and received the documents..  Hoping all goes well tomorrow means a net new client and revenue of about $14K.

Tomorrow morning means another early on-site appointment for wide format.  Hoping for a very busy day to end the week.

The harder you work the luckier you get.

BTW, A3 MFP's are not dead yet!

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty-Two of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty of Selling Copiers

A very interesting day for me today.  Today marketed the first day in 142 days that I spent the entire day in the field!  In addition I stopped by the office for a few minutes to pick up a small A4 black MFP that I wanted to deliver to a net new account.

My first appointment was early in the day with a net new account.  I had to be there by 9AM, thus it was time to make sure I left my home office by 7AM.  In most cases with traffic that trip to the office can take an hour even though it's only 27 miles.  Today that trip took 32 minutes with zero traffic.  Once I was at the office I had to pick up the small A4 and then get to my 9AM appointment.

The drive from the office is on one of the busiest non toll roads in NJ (can you believe there is a non toll road in Jersey).  In most cases the first 7 miles of that stretch at 8AM in the morning is stop and go.  Today the ride was a breeze with no slow downs,  just another example of peeps not on the road due to COVID.

My first appointment went well, I did not secure the other on the spot because there needs to be an approval from another DM.  I did not leave docs on-site because there was some additional configuring I had to do to present the right price.  The client needs the two MFP devices asap thus there will be a decision made by tomorrow.  I was also told that I would get a call from the other DM to beat me up some.   I just sent this proposal out a few minutes ago and it's a little after 7PM.

As far as other orders, nothing yesterday and nothing today. I had another confirmation that the order for three color MFPs is still going to happen this week with the possibility of a fourth one.

Over the last two days I've had zero time to prospect and it's more like I'm trying to clean the plate of opportunities that are available now.  At the end of this week I'll still have 50% of the month left to keep the ball moving forward.

My second appointment was for the delivery of the A4 which went really well.  Boy do I miss doing the training on these MFPs and that's because you never know what may come out of that time spent in their office.  Nothing additional came about today but it's my belief that all reps should train their clients on how to use the MFP's.  More questions usually means there may be another opportunity down the road.

My last appointment was with a long time client that was toying around with adding a second wide format.  They were looking for something that was pre-owned and color and I had to tell them I have nothing.  I stated I could cut a great offer for new but we're really not seeing many color wide formats coming off lease. A decent appointment, and probably an order in the near future. I just need to be patient and see what develops over the next couple of weeks.

Tomorrow means prospecting, cleaning up my to do list and keeping myself available to process orders when they arrive.

The State of New Jersey is still in Emergency Order and I don't see that lifting before the election.  If the other guy gets in well he has vowed to shut things down.  In NYC today the Governor shut down many schools and ordered non-essential businesses to close for at least two weeks or longer.

After 7 months I'm now at pro at this and if that happens here in NJ it's called conditions and there's nothing you can do expect to keep moving forward.

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Forty of Selling Copiers

For all of those that look forward to my weekly email update I don't think that's going to happen this week.  I just need to take the mental break tonight.

The end of last week was pretty good. I ended up receiving docs from three clients. One net new small A4 black MFP, one A3 Color MFP from an existing client (yes they needed 11x17), and then another order form an existing client for W6700 wide format (replacing a Ricoh W3601) and I also knocked out a Canon Color MFP at that same account with a Ricoh A3 color (another account that required 11x17).  Finishing up somewhere around $25K for the week.  See Ray 11x17 is still needed!

I was hoping on getting another wide format net new account last week.  This account gave me the verbal on Wednesday and then had second thoughts.  After three days of playing catch up with the account he emailed me today telling me he has to think it over a bit more.  There's any underlying reason and not something I will discuss at this point in time.  Nothing to do with me or Stratix, it's more of a manufacturer thing.  If you want to know the details please feel free to PM me.  That deal was around $12K, well at least I have three weeks to try and answer the objections and get it to the finish line.

During the month of May it seemed like I had that Midas touch, every deal was smooth with no hiccups.  Every deal this month has presented it's own set of issues whether it's lease approval, lease rates, docs, legal name it all came home to roost today.  I spent the better part of the day walking through each deal to bring them to fruition.  I'm sure there's going to be some additional work that needs to be done tomorrow and the day after.

Today I also was told that I'll be received signed docs tomorrow for four color MFP's from an existing account.  This has been in the works for sometime and it couldn't hit at a better time in the month since I was forecasting $105K for this month.  I dropped that to $92K because of the net new wide format account that is in the weeds.

The order from tomorrow is another $25K, thus my the end of tomorrow I should be at $50K with three weeks left.  The plan is to get at least one more client to move forward with a $16K order.  I'm hoping to be at $66K for the end of the week.  I then have two weeks to find another $30K.  Going through accounts that I think have the chance to close I'm seeing that number at $66K.  Half of that will get me to my goal.

Today was also pretty cool since I received a lead!  Yay!  They don't come along that often and they are such a blessing.  Believe or not I'll be visiting that location on Wednesday of this week.  Can you guess what I'm bringing with me? .................................Paper order documents so the client can sign them on the spot if the time is right.  I will not go there and then tell the client, "uh sorry I don't have any docs and I'll email them to you".  Not going to happen.  In fact I'm bring two sets becuase I have a tendency to screw them up every now and then. This opportunity is not included in my numbers and would be a bonus.

Strange how the rhythm of sales works, for two weeks you slam your head against the wall and double think every action because nothing is working. Then all of that work and prospecting falls into place for a short time.   It still is and always will be about how hard you work and how bad do you want it.

I'm done still have some work to finish up for my day job and it's just about 8PM here in Jersey.

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Thirty-Nine of Selling

I had no intention of writing a blog tonight.  Today was more like a exercise in futility.  

I've got $110K on the my opportunity board with about $90K in committed verbals in the last week.  Yet I haven't been able to turn the corner on any of them yet.  Over the past two days I've let the ball travel with a few, placed a few calls and emails with nudges to get docs. 

It's more like what does it take to get these documents when I want them?  That's the key, in most cases you never get them when "you" want them.  They come when the client has the time to move forward.

I haven't lost any and I don't foresee losing more than $20k of the $110K.  The $20K is out there for two opportunities. One I'm not sure of their timeline and the other has competition knock on the door.

At times I get so tired of the follow ups, the nudging, the wording of the emails and the messages.  

Today I felt kind of lost in my own day.  Looking at the list and asking my self what else can I do?  After 40 years of doing this I still have days like today and I'm sure there will be many more of these in the near future. 

COVID

COVID19 numbers are on the rise in NJ especially in the two Counties I sell in.  Our Governor gives no direction for B2B businesses for the population of offices.  More businesses are still remote with a small percentage (smaller companies) that are full staff.  

Prospecting More

Like i stated I found my-self asking what else can I do?  The only answer that came to me was to keep prospecting and keep trying to find new opportunities.  Thus I pushed forward and kept making the calls and the emails. At the end of the day I ended up with two appointments on-site! I'm not scared of going on-site and I'll take the necessary precautions.

Experience

From experience I know the funnel will burst, it's not the question of "if", the only question is "when". Yup, I do plan to be around when the funnel explodes.

I had one of these days last week also where I kind of wrote about the same experience.  I feel that writing about helps me to continue and may help others to keep moving forward even when things are not going your way.

I have no words of wisdom, nor a link to a cool blog tonight.  All I have is that we can't give up, giving up is not an option.  I remind myself of these quotes.

The Harder You Work The Luckier You Get

As Long as You Work Hard, You Never Know What the Tomorrows Will Bring You

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Thirty-Seven of Selling

I'm starting to lose track of days.  I'm not sure if this was Thursday or Friday last week that but our Governor extended his Emergency Order act for another thirty days.  Thus it seems that all businesses will not be back in the office for another 30 days.  In addition one of the counties that I cover had 40% of the overall daily cases in NJ.

At this point it's nothing I can control and I need to get going about my daily business of helping clients and finding ways to get clients to the finish line.

Not much has happened since I had that flurry of activity on Friday.  I've got verbal on orders for more than $60K.  In addition I just received another for $16K.  That's all well but it's time to get some ink on paper.  At this point I'm hoping to have four of them closed this week.

September Sales

September was a horrid month for me and thank goodness my month ended on the 23rd of this month.  Everything that I had on tap rolled.  All of those opportunities rolled for a number of reason and there was no commonality between them. What could I have done differently? Looking back I don't think there was anything I could have done to make things different.  Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you.  That bear had me but good for September.

October

As of today I'm three days into the month and looking forward there are 22 work days this month with no holidays.  Combine the 22 work days and no holidays means the chances for going big this month can happen, My motto for this month is Make October Great!

Prospecting 

During this time of COVID19 one of my other activities is to hop on Linkedin to see if I can find any content that will help me with prospecting.  Prospecting has changed during COVID19 at least here in NJ.  The old art of knocking on doors will brings resistance in NJ and I feel it's better to change the way I'm prospecting.   

Today I was able to catch video from Connect365.  The video is 20 minutes in length but goes it some excellent content for prospecting (linkedin) and emailing cold prospects.  I'll probably have to listen to it a few times for it to stick, however at this point I've got all of the time in the world to learn more.  

Here's a snippet and I embedded the link in the picture for you. Of course there is a short commercial here but I found the content really helpful.

Tomorrow is more of the same, no place to go but up

Sorry for the short blog tonight, but, I'm sure I'll have more content during the week.  One other item I'm looking to connect with a Toshiba dealer principal if you're reading this please send me an email apost@p4photel.com

-=Good Selling=-

The Week in Copiers Ten Years Ago

The Week in Copiers Ten Years Ago

the last week of September 2010

The push is on and the last quarter of the year is upon us.  Who will be the winners and the losers? After speaking with a few more Office Equipment Dealers this week I'm encouraged with the rate of transformation that is taking place.  Dealers are not waiting for things to happen they are making things happen.  More and more dealers are adopting new services and products for their clients.  The question becomes when do the copier manufacturers become irrelevant to the Office Office Equipment dealer?

Enjoy these most popular threads from ten years ago this week.

Konica Minolta Launches the Perfect Digital Alternative for Print Professionals

Guest ·
executive interview, please contact Rachel Reed at Rachel.Reed@kmbs.konicaminolta.us . Availability The bizhub PRESS C8000 is available now through Konica Minolta's North American direct sales and authorized dealer sales channels. About Konica Minolta Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. is a leader in advanced imaging and networking technologies for the desktop to the print shop.In 2009, Konica Minolta was named Supplier of the Year by both the Allegra Network and the National
Topic

Konica Minolta Business Solutions today launched its Optimised Print Services (OPS) o

Guest ·
According to Konica Minolta national manager managed print services, Iain Barnfield, the new consulting service analyses how a company is using all its print and multifunction devices and then develops a tailored solution to monitor, manage and optimise printing services. “It is designed for, but not limited to, companies operating at least ten separate devices and typically employing more than 50 people.” “We have listened to what the market wants and have sought to improve on similar services
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Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc is currently seeking a BRANCH TECHNICAL

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Program. Employee Referral Bonus Program. Ongoing professional development training. State-of-the-art office products. Visible, exciting work supporting the sales of cutting edge technology and workflow solutions. Konica Minolta is Proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/V/D Committed to Affirmative Action.
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Count on Konica Minolta for Award-Winning Technologies at GRAPH EXPO

Guest ·
-saving design. New Product Introductions – Konica Minolta will unveil a new series of color digital presses designed to strengthen our market-leading position in the production print arena and enhance print professionals’ return on investment (ROI). Printgroove – In light production printing, CRD and small- to mid-sized print shop applications, Printgroove® is the key to greater output power and increased satisfaction for customers and corporate clients. It can accept input in any format
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Xerox Color 800/1000 presses drive profit, extend digital printing capabilities

Guest ·
Xerox Color 800/1000 presses drive profit, extend digital printing capabilities Friday, September 24, 2010 Press release from the issuing company Rochester, N.Y. – Print providers looking to increase the worth of every page they sell are using Xerox Corporation's Color 800/1000 Presses to capture jobs once reserved for offset printing. The presses – introduced earlier this year – offer the sharp images and quick turnaround times needed for sophisticated sales collateral, direct marketing pieces
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Xerox Color 800/1000 presses drive profit, extend digital printing capabilities

Guest ·
Xerox Color 800/1000 presses drive profit, extend digital printing capabilities Friday, September 24, 2010 Press release from the issuing company Rochester, N.Y. – Print providers looking to increase the worth of every page they sell are using Xerox Corporation's Color 800/1000 Presses to capture jobs once reserved for offset printing. The presses – introduced earlier this year – offer the sharp images and quick turnaround times needed for sophisticated sales collateral, direct marketing pieces
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Does any National Copier Vendor still have their own in house leasing service?

SalesServiceGuy ·
Does Xerox still have Xerox Financial Services? I think not, they subcontract to GE Capital? Is not GE Capital trying to get out of the copier business? Who does Canon use? Who does Ricoh/ IKON use? Who does Konica Minolta use? Who does Pitney Bowes use? For all of these vendors, do they actually operate their own Leasing Company or do they subcontract it out to someone like CIT or DLL and put their brand name on their leases.
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Kyocera Mita America Expands Managed Print Services Offering; Authorizes Business Tec

Guest ·
more document imaging devices and, ultimately, become the end-user's "single source" for managing printed pages and hardware. Kyocera’s industry-leading MPS program, Managed Print: SimplifiedSM, includes a nationwide network of Kyocera Certified MPS Dealers that help organizations find significant savings on current print output costs, improve the return on investment (ROI) and lower total cost of ownership on existing printers and MFPs through print optimization and best practices. Additionally
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New Report Positions Xerox No. 1 in Managed Print Services

Guest ·
hundreds of thousands of dollars in document- related costs. Using Xerox's "print governance" feature, the newest addition to the company's MPS portfolio, Rialto will bump savings to nearly half a million dollars by better managing print across its 25 buildings. QinetiQ, a leading defense technology and security company, based in the U.K., cut energy usage and greenhouse gases by 44 percent with its Xerox MPS strategy. Xerox also helped QinetiQ improve security and compliance with radio-frequency
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Xerox Positioned in Leaders Quadrant of 2010 Managed Print Services Report

Guest ·
and expand the range of MPS offerings is evidenced by its Enterprise Print Services (EPS). Xerox EPS goes beyond traditional MPS offerings as the first service to help gain control of documents being printed, shared and stored across the entire enterprise – whether in the office, by mobile and virtual workers or in the print center. As the market leader in MPS, Xerox's client list includes global leaders like The Dow Chemical Company, Fiat Group, Ingersoll Rand, and Procter Gamble. Xerox also
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AIM Mail Centers Embrace Mobile Technology by Upgrading to Ricoh HotSpot MFPs

Guest ·
(MFPs). Ricoh HotSpot MFPs offer mobile users the added convenience of printing remotely and enable users to print securely across the Internet, without the need for a device-specific driver or special software. Mobile printing solutions for the Ricoh HotSpot MFPs are powered by PrinterOn®. "Ricoh HotSpot MFPs fit into the future vision of our AIM Mail Center stores, which are becoming business solution centers rather than shipping centers," said Michael Sawitz , CEO, AIM Mail Centers. "Ricoh
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Xerox Debuts iGen4 EXP; Elevates Industry's Most Widely Used High-End Digital ...

Guest ·
, visit http://www.xerox.com/tr/products or call 800-ASK-XEROX. Note: For more information on Xerox, visit http://www.xerox.com or http://news.xerox.com . For open commentary, industry perspectives and views from events visit http://twitter.com/xeroxcorp , http://twitter.com/xeroxproduction , http://twitter.com/xeroxevents , http://www.xerox.com/blogs or http://www.xerox.com/podcasts . Xerox(R), iGen4(R), FreeFlow(R) and the sphere of connectivity design are trademarks of Xerox Corporation in
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Pacific Northwest’s Largest School District Enrolls Westbrook Fortis to Reduce Docume

Guest ·
accessible from most Internet browsers. For more information, call (203) 483-6666 or visit http://www.westbrooktech.com . About IKON IKON Office Solutions, Inc. (http://www.ikon.com), a Ricoh company, is a leading provider of innovative document management systems and services, enabling customers to improve document workflow and increase efficiency. IKON integrates copiers, printers and MFP technologies, and document management software and systems, to deliver tailored, high-value solutions, implemented
Member

mspeed

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$12,419 Federal Contract Awarded to Ricoh Americas

Guest ·
[September 23, 2010] (Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) By Targeted News Service WASHINGTON, Sept. 23 -- Ricoh Americas Corp., West Caldwell, N.J., won a $12,419 federal contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Md., for Alficio MP 8001 digital copier system.
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HP Recognized as a Leader in 2010 Managed Print Services by Analyst Firm Report

Guest ·
documents in electronic processes. By seeking to enlarge the scope of their MPS this way, organizations can maximize cost savings and process improvements." HP MPS is a flexible, scalable offering that provides organizations a clear path for turning their printing and imaging environments into vital, value-added assets that drive business growth. With one of the industry's broadest portfolios of products, solutions and services, HP helps customers improve workflow and maximize results so they can meet
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RISO to feature next generation of inkjet printing at Graph Expo

Guest ·
printers is so fast, affordable and dependable, customers have found great cost savings in direct mail, transactional documents, and many other commercial applications," said Todd Deluca, president and chief operating officer of RISO, Inc. The three ComColor models showcased at Graph Expo will be shown printing a unique transpromotional MICR application with embedded digital security pantographs, variable data envelopes, newsletters, booklets, and more. The combination of ComColor inkjet printing
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Print Audit® President and CEO Named as Finalist for Prestigious Award

Guest ·
. By providing businesses with innovative and practical print management software solutions, the company has helped customers recapture over $150 million in printing and photocopying expenses while saving an estimated 190,000 trees a year. Print Audit has offices located in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, Canada and the United States. For more information on Print Audit, please contact: Angela Onstine 1.877.412.8348 pr@printaudit.com http://www.printaudit.com Facebook: http
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New Brother Color Laser Printers Deliver Category-Leading Performance

Guest ·
-4570CDWT) features category-leading print speeds, automatic duplex printing, wired or wireless networking, generous standard paper input capacity and an exciting new design. The new models will be available beginning in October 2010 . "Small business owners are increasingly expected to do more with less, and this new series of color laser printers from Brother offers them the flexibility to print higher volumes of documents – such as multiple copies of presentations or sales brochures needed for a
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Ricoh1981

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"Wanted" Ricoh 615C PS option

Guest ·
Post Script 3 Unit Type C1500, need one of these new or used can anyone give me a price, just in case I can't get a new deal approved.Art
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Commissioners Award Copier Contract

Guest ·
Purchasing director Cathy Mosier outlined the bid specifications for the commissioners. Mosier said the bids were opened on Sept. 7 and there were five bidders. . . The Richland County Commissioners Tuesday awarded the price per copy contract to MT...
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Lead in Wyoming Color Copier

Guest ·
The P4P Cafe has generated a lead for the zip code 82214 in Wyoming, looks to be Northwest of Fort Laramie.30PPM color device, please email me for details!
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HP Unveils World’s Most Collaborative Large-format Printer Solutions

Guest ·
expensive to maintain. The HP Designjet T7100 Printer features a modular design that allows customers to easily upgrade the device as technology progresses and that helps the printer integrate seamlessly into existing IT infrastructures. The printer eases and accelerates print production for customers by offering: speeds of up to 165 A1 prints per hour, unattended printing with the capacity to manage up to three media rolls and the HP Smart Roll Loading System. The HP Instant Printing Pro accessory
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Re: Ricoh Ends Relationship with Ratio

Maxima1 ·
Let me further clarify my post. My understanding is this, Ratio Germany has filed for bankruptcy and no longer doing business. Ratio America is now its own entity and doing business seperately. They drive the Plotbase PM website and are selling Plotbase/Rip Cube etc. There is legal discussions that will allow Ratio to work with Ricoh. I think Ricoh recognizes the embedded is not sufficient but is tied legal on their actions. Also, Ricoh is still provide tech support for the controllers that
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Re: Does any National Copier Vendor still have their own in house leasing service?

Larry Levine ·
Konica Minolta uses GE, DLL, US Bank
Member

rmoue2

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Future Lead!!

Guest ·
SAPULPA CITY COUNCIL Consider approving the amended Order and Lease Agreement(s) with Document Imaging Solutions, LLC., and DeLage Landen respectively for maintenance service and lease of all Digital Sharp and Samsung Color Copiers for the City of Sapulpa for the period of October 21, 2010 through October 01, 2012, and authorize the Mayor to execute all related documents.
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4 Key Considerations for Paper-Based Hospitals Looking to Go Electronic

Guest ·
says hospitals often misunderstand the concept of deploying an electronic system. He adds they should be mindful that although EHRs will certainly provide many benefits, they should not be naïve about the savings in paper supplies they may seek through making health records electronic. "If you look at a 350-bed hospital, there are approximately 2.5 million documents being printed in that hospital and only 20-25 percent is related to medical records," he says. "The overwhelming majority of documents
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Re: Booklet printing with saddle stitch using Adobe Indesign CS5

John ·
Here is an update. Yesterday while on site the end user informed me that if he printed the document to PDF from Indesign which will print the document to a file, then tries to print the original Indesign document, it will print. After creating a PDF but not printing that PDF but printing the same document in Indesign, why will it then print. Does it do something to the original document when it is printed to PDF, fix some errors in the document? When trying to print the original document in
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Re: Does any National Copier Vendor still have their own in house leasing service?

Guest ·
Canon has Canon Financial, all of the others? I believe they are all third party.
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Re: Does any National Copier Vendor still have their own in house leasing service?

Old Glory ·
If I'm not mistaken, Canon Financial is still wholly owned by Canon but I don't think anyone else has their own leasing company anymore.
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Re: Booklet printing with saddle stitch using Adobe Indesign CS5

Guest ·
John: Wish I could help, what has Ricoh stated? Can anyone else help John?
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Re: Booklet printing with saddle stitch using Adobe Indesign CS5

John ·
Ricoh is absolutely no help. I hope someone from Ricoh reads this post. Who do you hire up there? They have absolutely no clue. Very disappointed. Much thanks to JasonR from RJ Young for your input. John
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Re: Does any National Copier Vendor still have their own in house leasing service?

Jrlz ·
Ricoh has Ricoh Financial Services, which is wholly owned by Ricoh
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Re: Does any National Copier Vendor still have their own in house leasing service?

Old Glory ·
I think if you look into it that you will find that you are mistaken. Their lease document says Ricoh but the rest of the document is either De Lage Landen (DLL) or GE. They used to use DLL almost exclusively but seem to be mostly GE now.
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Re: Does any National Copier Vendor still have their own in house leasing service?

Patrick Bateman ·
Partially correct...Ricoh Financial Services (wholly owned)still exists and is primarily used for Major Accounts whereas Commercial or SMB accounts are financed through 3rd party vendors, i.e. GE, DLL, etc.
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Re: Booklet printing with saddle stitch using Adobe Indesign CS5

John ·
We solved the problem. We changed a setting within InDesign CS5 from "Binary" to "ASCII". I do not know why this works since that same setting in InDesign CS4 is set to "Binary" but it fixed the problem. Much thanks to JasonR for taking the time to call me and discuss the problem. Not alot of people would do that and I really appreciate it. I have attached a screen shot of the change from within InDesign CS5. Feel free to comment on why this would have made a difference as I have no clue. John
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Re: wide format specialist

JasonR ·
I totally agree with Jrlz. Don't split, they aren't selling it, they aren't comp'd on it. Lead fees are the way to go. Besides, the reps would complain either way!
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Office machine blamed for medical building fire

Guest ·
XENIA, Greene County — A malfunctioning copier and fax machine is to blame for a fire that started at a medical building in the 300 block of North Detroit Street, across from Shawnee Park. The total estimated damage cost is believed to be approximately $175,000, according to Xenia Fire Chief Jeff Leaming. Approximately, $100,000 is the damage to the building. The fire at 330/322 North Detroit St. was reported 7:07 a.m. The building has two levels, and fire officials believe the fire started on
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"What is" Section 179

Guest ·
your business) to move in a positive direction. For most small businesses (adding total equipment, software, and vehicles totaling less than $500,000 in 2010), the entire cost can be written-off on the 2010 tax return. For businesses adding even more than $500,000, the write-offs are still substantial. See the following graphic for an example of the savings thatis currently available to you after the 'Small Business Jobs and CreditAct of 2010' passed in September 2010. Limits of Section 179
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Océ and Intersections Inc. Demonstrate

Guest ·
, meeting industry security standards for the payment card industry. More Color and More Capacity The high capacity and performance of the Océ JetStream system have also given Intersections the added capacity to pursue other segments that require secure printing. Intersections can expand its client base and offer the service to more markets, because the Océ JetStream printer provides the ample capacity and reliability to produce hundreds of thousands of reports each month. The live demonstration

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Thirty-Five of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Thirty-Five of Selling Copiers

Today was one of those days when you it was non-stop action all day long.  I finally finished up about 5 minutes ago with presenting an existing client a creative way to keep their existing copier.  (PM me for details)

I didn't receive any docs today but had two more clients that want to move forward with new MFP's.  One was an existing account that I've been chasing for two years and another is a net new for a small A4 MFP which had some decent GP in it.  Funny after I received the verbal for the net new I asked the client this "I know you received a lot proposals, and our entire correspondence was via email, can you tell me why you made Stratix your choice?"  I received my answer that was two fold with the least important being the brand of copier and the most important was how we would support the MFP and the client for the next three years.  

Over the years I've learned to be as thorough as possible with my quotes/proposals and try to make the transaction simple and explain the proposal in their language.   Thus I don't use our language for proposals I use their understanding of our business.  Which in most cases is very limited.  I don't use CPC, FMV, Clicks, ARDF, SPDF acronyms, I spell it out for the clients so that there are no questions about what those acronyms mean.  In other words I try to communicate with their level of knowledge about MFPs.  In this case it worked and all of the extra work was much appreciated.

I still have all of the other deals in a seven day cycle that I spoke about.  Hoping within the next seven days I can have $60K to Make October Great!

There was zero time for prospecting, inmails or emails today.  All of the calls and emails were focused on moving orders across the finish line.  Thus the last two days of this week made up for the bad beginning to the week.

I'm hoping by the end of tomorrow to have three orders completed and then perform follows up calls and email on the remaining 30 opportunities that I have open.

Lately I've been spending more time on Linkedin looking for those special treats.  I posted one a few weeks that I thought was interesting and thanx to Dayna Karron I found another treat today.  See below

I especially loved the part about dopamine rush. Yup I am that junkie that needs his dopamine rush as many times a week as I can get it.

If you get the chance connect with Michele and Dayna you'll be glad you did.

-=Good Selling-=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Thirty-Four of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Thirty-Four of Selling Copiers

On Monday of this week which was day 132 I wasn't in a good place.  All of the hard work that I put in wasn't going to come to fruition for September.  All of the calls, emails, inmails, posting content on Linkedin and my own Jersey Plotters site just didn't get me to where I wanted to be.  

It was the end of a quarter and a quarter that I had a decent shot to rack up some bonus dollars. In the end I finished with one of my worst months in the last six months. Hey I can only chalk it up to as sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you.  The only saving grace is that I have a huge funnel going into the last three months of the year.  

I want to finish the year strong, I want that bonus, and I want to get to another Presidents Club trip.  But more importantly I want to prove to my-self that I can still hit my numbers in middle of arguably the worst crisis our industry has even seen.  It's dedication, it's pride, it's determination and dedication that will drive me for the next three months

Each one of these blogs I posted on Linkedin with a short snippet with one of the paragraphs I wrote about.  Monday's blog seemed to hot a note with many of my connections in the industry.  Just thought I'd like to share some of those with everyone tonight.

Thanx to all of those that took the time to post a thread for the blog.   I was especially fond of the thread Pamela posted.  I was also thankful that she noticed the writing and the content is real, there's nothing made up and we're all in the same struggle together.

Not going to write about today, but I will write about yesterday for a few more paragraphs.

I had three virtual appointments yesterday.  One at 3PM, one at 4PM and One at 4:30PM.  One was net new and the other two were existing clients.  The net new ghosted me, however I had a call/meeting from an existing client.  That call went rather well, I had submitted a proposal for 4 devices two months ago, however I was told this wouldn't have legs until the second quarter of 2021.  Turns out they are going to move forward in the next two weeks with four devices that should add up to $32K.  It's going to be in three segments and the first one came over today.  

My 4PM call went well but no order, the DM stated they were getting another quote and was hoping to have it by the end of this week.  I was also told that they would get back to me with the brand and model to see if they are comparing apples to apples.  Just that statement told me pretty much that I'm in the drivers seat.  That's a $7K deal that feel pretty good for the next week.

My 4:30PM meeting went well for knocking out a competitive device in one of my own accounts.  After reviewing the virtual proposal the DM gave the verbal to move forward with two devices for a total of $18K.  Those docs went out this AM.

Then a late night text and call with a net new brought a $12K deal to life also.  Those order docs went out to day also.

I don't count deals until I have them in hand but it all goes well in one weeks time I can make up for September and might be able MAKE OCTOBER GREAT AGAIN!

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Thirty-Two of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Thirty-Two of Selling Copiers

The last blog I wrote was last Tuesday the 15th and that was day 128.  Today marks 132 days (22 working days per month) or half a year of working remote with pandemic in place.  

By the end of the today all I had was one massive headache. All of the good stuff that was created on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week fizzled.  With two days left in the month I'm sucking wind and I'm not too happy about where I'm at.

Between Tuesday and Wednesday I have three appointments and all of them have the chance to close by the 23rd.  I've prepared, I'm ready and the only thing I need to do is to get the order docs prepped in advance.  If all goes well I can end the call and 5 minutes later the client has the documents.  There is no time to waste.  Tomorrow morning will be spent working on those order documents so they are ready to go.

Last week was slow to develop and by Wednesday I was thinking this just may not happen this month.  On Thursday I had two good hits, one from an existing account that wants to upgrade two devices and then a text from another account that told me to call his buddy.  Friday saw me with another opportunity for a pre-owned A3 MFP.  I thought this was really coming together and with three days left I could do this.

The pre-owned A3 dropped off this AM because a tech was able to get the copier running (competitor tech).  The buddy text opportunity I wasn't able to connect with and the other opportunity (existing client) has an appointment at 4PM tomorrow.  Late tomorrow should be a RUSH, I have a 3:00PM, 4PM, and then 4:30PM.  Thus you just might not see a blog from me tomorrow night.

These are crazy times, the stress, the ups and downs can take their toll on your mental fitness.  As many times as I wanted to just through in the towel and say this isn't going to work, I told myself that I still have three months left in the year. That's 25% of the year left, which is still plenty of times to make things happen.  Funny about that make things happen line. I could have been a loser today and waited for something to happen.  I didn't wait,  I ended up making the rest of the calls and the emails that I had on my list. 

Tomorrow is another day and even though this day really sucked can it really get that much worse?  Well it could,  I could pull another zero tomorrow.  But even if I pull that zero sooner or later this is all going to come together and when it does I will be there.

In my 90 day funnel I now have 28 opportunities, twenty percent of those are probably crap (but there is always hope).  Moving into the last quarter of the month the total revenue is $378,000.   That $378K should get me around the $130K mark for the last quarter.  Of course the $130K isn't going to cut it and the remedy is to continue prospecting get that $378K to at least $425K.  Funny when it comes right down to it, it's really is a numbers game.

Now I will congratulate my-self on surviving a half a year of working remote and having the world turned up-side down.  I can think of all the bad, but to make this far in this type of business climate I will pat myself on the back and say you've done a decent job

Now it's time to finish the year!

-=Good Selling=-

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Twenty-Seven of Selling

COVID19 Remote Working Day One Hundred and Twenty-Seven of Selling Copiers & IT Services

Did you notice anything different in the title?  I finally included IT services because I spent quite of bit of time today prospecting for both.  While I'm no master at selling IT I do have an entire team behind me that can help.  Now it's just up to me to ask that six foot question. 

Last week I was able to knock down one content TEAMS meeting with an existing client.  I realize that my focus can't be just about copiers anymore especially with the way things are today.

Pretty busy day for me, while I didn't have a lot of prospecting time I was able to know down two small orders and get them processed today.  I'm no where close to where I want to be, but like I stated on Friday you just never know what tomorrow will bring you.

I'm still dealing with many of the same issues with no call backs, no return emails and leaving plenty of messages.  For now I have to be satisfied with growing the funnel because at some point in time the funnel will burst.  I just need to be patient and stop driving myself crazy with why is stuff not happening.

A good friend of mine wrote a nice piece on his blog site the other day. It was so good that I thought I would share with everyone.  I've know West McDonald for some time now and I've always been impressed with his knowledge of the industry along with his blogging. I may not ready that many books however I always find the time to read blogs from my favorite peeps in the industry.

If used properly, LinkedIn is one of the most powerful and “free” sales tools you can add to your arsenal. If used incorrectly, it won’t do you any good at all. In fact, it could actually hurt your close rates. The blog you’re about to read will help make sure you squeeze as much value and power out of LinkedIn as you can. We’re going to cover the “DOs” and “DON’Ts” that I’ve learned as a power user over the years. Let’s dive in!  Read the rest here

I've been a member of Linkedin since 2003, and on most days I'm posting up 0 to 30 threads a day (some may say that is too much).  Most of those threads were always something leading back to my blog or threads I posted on the P4P Hotel.  It was three months ago when I turned on the paid premium service.  I find the service is somewhat pricey however after using the premium for three months I'm hooked.  

What's changed with Linkedin?  I believe the recent pandemic has lead to an increase of more C level execs finally tuning in and using Linkedin more frequently than before. I've had the premium service before but really never had that much luck with it.  I would like to thank Dayna Karron for helping me out in late April of this year.  It's amazing when people you've never met are willing to go out of their way to help each other.  I know how that feels because I've done the same with other peeps in our industry.  But a special shout out for Dayna!

My numbers for the day.  Two orders placed for not a lot a revenue, seventeen emails, one appointment, sixteen calls, one inmail and one Linkedin post.  Like I stated not a great day for prospecting.

Seven days left in the month.

-=Good Selling=-

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